Tally board



Feb.

J. H. NEWMAN TALLY BOARD Filed .Jan. 2, 1951 INVENTOR John H." Newman ORNEY Patented Feb. 17, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TALLY BOARD John H. Newman, St. Paul, Minn.

Application January 2, 1951, Serial No. 203,839

2 Claims.

My invention relates to an improvement in game board and deals particularly with a board supporting pegs to indicate a score.

In scoring certain games, such as five hundred and the like, it is not always convenient to use a paper and pencil for indicating the score. Accordingly I have provided a scoring board which includes a series of pegs which may be actuated to designate the score of the game.

A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a game board having a top covering element and a hollow under portion. A series of spaced apertures are provided in the top covering element and a series of pegs are slidably supported in these apertures. Means frictionally engages each of the pegs so that one or more of the pegs may be selectively held in elevated position.

A feature of the present invention lies in the provision of a series of pegs arranged in pairs in side by side relation preferably with an identifying numeral therebetween. One of the pegs of each pair is preferably differently colored from the other so as to identify one from the other. The pegs of one color are used to indicate scores above zero, while the pegs of the other color are used to designate scores below zero.

A feature of the present invention lies in the manner in which the pegs are frictionally engaged. The pegs preferably are provided with a head at their lower end so that they can not be pulled upwardly through the apertures. The pegs extend through a thick pad of felt or similar material which engages the pegs with sufficient friction to hold them in set position. The felt is held in place by a novel means of attachment which substantially simplifies the assembly problem.

These and other objects and novel features of my invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

In the drawings forming a part of my specification:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the game board, a portion thereof being broken away to show the internal construction.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view through the game board, the position of the section being indicated by the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section through the game board, the position of the section being indicated by the line 33 of Figure 1.

The game board includes a top panel I!) of generally rectangular shape in preferred form. This top I is connected by a pair of longitudinally extending side walls H and I2 and a pair of trans- 2 versely extending end walls l3 and [4 to the bottom panel l5. Thus in general the structure comprises a generally rectangular hollow box. A rectangular recess I6 is provided at the center of the game board. Parallel side walls I! and I9 and parallel end walls 2!) and 21 extend between the top It] and the bottom panel [5 to form a lined recess for containing a pack of cards or the like, illustrated in dotted outline by the letter B.

The top panel It is provided with several series of longitudinally aligned apertures extending thereto. These apertures are arranged in pairs along opposite sides of the game board. Rows of apertures 22 and 23 are provided on one side of the central aperture it while rows of apertures 24 and 25 extend along the opposite side of the game board. A fifth row of apertures 28 extend between the pairs of rows previously described and are aligned with the central aperture is and are spaced on opposite ends of the game board.

A series of lugs project downwardly from the game board as best indicated in Figure 3 of the drawings. These lugs are designed for use in attaching strips of felt or similar material to the undersurfa-ce of the top panel. One series of spaced lugs 2t extend between the rows of apertures 24 and 25. Another longitudinally spaced series of lugs 21 project downwardly from the panel IE3 between the rows of apertures 22 and 23-. A third series of lugs 29 are provided between the apertures 28. The lugs 26 are designed to extend through a strip 30 of felt or similar material. The lugs 21 extend through a similar strip of felt St. The lugs 29 extend through another strip of felt 32. The strips of felt 30, 3| and 32 are wide enough to extend beneath all of the apertures of the adjacent rows with which the fastening lugs are associated. Thus the strip 30 extends entirely across the rows of apertures 24 and 25 and somewhat beyond these apertures. The strip 3i similarly extends beneath the rows of apertures 22 and 23 and extends somewhat wider than these apertures. The strip 32 extends to either side of the apertures 26.

Pins 33 are provided in all of the apertures of all of the rows. These pins 33 are provided with headed lower ends 34 and are of such length as to project somewhat above the top panel I 0 when the heads 36 are resting upon the bottom panel H5. The pins 33 extend through the corresponding strips of felt, the holes made in the felt being ordinarily somewhat smaller than the diameter of the pins. As a result the felt provides suiiicient friction against the pins to hold these pins either in elevated or in lowered position.

The felt strips are located somewhat above the accavvc 1 level of the bottom panel 15 so that each of the pins may be moved upwardly an appreciable distance. Thus when it is desired to indicate a score, one or more of the pins is elevated and remains in elevated position until manually depressed. The elevation of the pins is sufiicient so that each elevated pin may be readily distinguished from the others.

In the particular form of construction: illus-. trated, eachof the rowsof aperturesu22,.23, 24 and 25 include fourteen apertures and correspondingly fourteen pins. Indicia 35 is provided,

between the pins of each pair so as to identify these pins.

than the pins of the adjacent row. For example the pins located in the rowsof' aperture-s23 and 24 may be red in color and may indicate. minus scores or scores below zero. Scores in increments, of ten, points are provided up to one hundred." Whenscores-aboveonehundred are to beindicated; the pinindicating one hundred remains elevated andthe additional score is indicated by the elevation ofasecondpin. When a score of two'hundredis'reached the pinopposite the numeral) one hundred is lowered and the pinopposite numeraltwo hundred is elevated. In this; manner scores up to atotal o-f=five hundred maybe-scored on the board.

I havefoundthat because of my particular wayof suppo-rting the felt' my'board may be produced at-lowcost; In-usual-practice thehoard isf molded complete, except for: either the top panel or the bottom panel. The remaining panel is-separately= molded. In assembling the board, the felt strips are applied upon their'respective lugs and metal retaining elements 36' provided: withaperturesslightlysmaller than the lugs 21' are wedged ontothe lugs to hold thefelt in place. The pins- 33' are next insertedthrough the holes in-the top panel-and the remainingpanel of the assembly is added and attached to the remainder of the-body with cement or .othersuitableattaching means.

In accordance with thepatent statutes, I have described theprinciples of' construction and operation-of mygalneboard, and .whileI have en-.

In preferred form the pins of one row of each pair of rows are of different .color.

- said =mea-ns encircling said lugs in an ofiset fashion with respect to said apertures, and pins extending through said fibrous material and through said apertures and frictionally held in place by said fibrous material, said lug encircling means having their edges spaced sufficiently. from saidapertures to provide a cantilever flexing of the fibrous material adjacent'each pinreceiving aperture.

2. A tally boardincludingazhcllowbodyhaving a top panel being provided with a. series of apertures .therethrough, a strip of soft fibrous material underlying; said toppanel, fastening means for securing said strip of fibrous-material against said top panel, said fastening means being offset from said apertures, and :pins extending through said apertures and frictionally held in place by said fibrous material, saidfastening,

means beingspaced sufficiently from said aper tures to provide a cantilever flexing of the fibrous material adjacent each pin receiving aperture.

JOHN H. NEWMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references areof record in'the fileof this patent:-

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number; Name Date 40,999 Gill Dec; 22, 1863. 245,8'73 Sargent Aug. 16, 1881 1,637;211 Bley July 26; 1927. 2,561,036 Sodders July 17, 1951. 

